• Source:JND
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Over the weekend, Florida residents were left stunned and slightly bewildered as they looked up to see a bizarrely vibrant red sun. From deep crimson to glowing orange to misty white with hints of red, the sun's appearance had people questioning whether they were witnessing a rare atmospheric phenomenon or even something extraterrestrial.

In some photos shared online, the sun looked like it had a twin, appearing as two distinct glowing orbs in the sky. In others, it bore an uncanny resemblance to Mars. One user wrote, “It’s Mars. That’s how it appeared!” Images of the strange sun quickly went viral on social media, with speculation running wild.

Wink News meteorologist Matt Devitt posted photos on Facebook with the caption: “FLORIDA SUNSET! 🔴🌴 The Sun looks like Mars in these unique shots this weekend in Jacksonville. The bright red color is because of Canadian wildfire smoke aloft!”

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Indeed, smoke from wildfires burning in Canada has been drifting south into the United States and lingering high in the atmosphere. This has had a noticeable impact on sunlight in several regions, including Florida.

Science Behind Red Glow

Meteorologist Andrew Stutzke of WQAD News 8 explained that what people are seeing is a classic case of light scattering. Sunlight is made up of a full visible light spectrum, ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet).

On clear days, we typically see the full range, but when the atmosphere is filled with smoke, it filters out the shorter wavelengths, like blue, green, indigo, and violet, because they scatter more easily.

“So when you block these out, guess what you are left with?” Stutzke said. “Red, orange, and yellow, that is why those are the dominant colours you’re seeing in the sun, especially during sunsets and sunrises.”

Not Just Smoke, Dust Can Do It Too

Some social media users also suggested another possible factor: dust from distant deserts. Large dust clouds, such as those from the Sahara, have been known to travel across the Atlantic and influence sunsets in the US by scattering light in a similar way.

While the red sun may have taken Floridians by surprise, experts emphasise that the phenomenon is harmless. Rather than a sign of something apocalyptic or supernatural, it’s simply an awe-inspiring result of natural processes in our atmosphere.

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